Unseeded for US Open, Emma Raducanu dominates final in fairy-tale ending

Britain’s Emma Raducanu completed a Grand Slam fairy tale Sept. 11 by beating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in a clash of the teens to be crowned U.S. Open champion. The 18-year-old became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title and the first British woman to hoist a major trophy since Virginia Wade triumphed at Wimbledon in 1977. “It’s an absolute dream,” said Raducanu, who shot from 150th to No. 23 in the world rankings Sept. 13. Raducanu’s win received the royal stamp of approval, with Queen Elizabeth II taking to Twitter to offer congratulations. The first Grand Slam final — men’s or women’s — to be contested by two unseeded players was an unfathomable matchup featuring qualifier Raducanu and little-known Fernandez, 73rd in the standings going into the tournament. One unseeded player making a major final would be considered remarkable — two in the final is near unbelievable. All the more remarkable was that Raducanu’s march to the title required 10 matches and she did not drop a single set. (Reuters) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.